When summer arrives, Capital Region residents usually break out their air conditioners or run out to buy new ones. But this year, that hasn't been the case.

With fewer hot days and no prolonged heat waves, many Capital Region retailers are reporting sales of air conditioners are lower than last year.

Lou Ventresca, general manager of the Colonie Center Sears, said his store usually sees its highest air conditioner sales after two or three days of extreme heat. Ventresca said while sales have not been poor, he hasn't had the boost in sales that a heat wave normally brings.

Though this summer may have seemed cooler than normal, it has actually been warmer than average. A spokesman for the National Weather Service said this summer hasn't seemed as hot, because the last few summers have been even hotter and there haven't been any heat waves this year.

"We typically get 10 90-degree days a summer and we're well below that," the spokesman said. "There's been about four days of 90 or higher and no heat waves, so that part makes it feel like we haven't had an extended period of hot weather."

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While some businesses are hurting from the lack of heat waves, a few report they've had higher sales this year. Todd Danz, director of operations at Family Danz Heating and Cooling, said more customers bought air conditioners earlier in the season as they prepared for a hot summer.

"Last year we had a pretty long hot prolonged summer... and I think some people dragged their feet and held off last year," Danz said. "We saw AC purchases start earlier this year than we did last year and I think that's due to people expecting a warmer summer."

Even if people have bought air conditioners this summer, it appears they haven't been running them up as much as in previous years.

Traditionally, the summer months are when the state's power plants have to work overtime as homeowners and businesses crank up the AC.

The phenomenon is watched closely by the New York Independent System Operator, the North Greenbush entity that oversees the state's high-voltage electrical system. The NYISO goes on high alert during heat waves when the demand for power across the state hits its peak.

As it does every spring, the NYISO predicted back in May that this year's peak electrical demand would be 33,666 megawatts — out of about 41,300 megawatts the state has at its disposal. Each megawatt produced by a power plant can power about 800 homes.

But the operators in the NYISO control center in North Greenbush haven't had to worry too much this summer. NYISO spokesman David Flanagan said this summer's peak electrical load has only been 29,331 megawatts — about 4,000 less than last summer's peak.

Though this drop in energy usage could be caused by less air conditioner usage, it could also be contributed to more energy efficient units. Frank Cocca, owner of Cocca's Appliances, said while total air conditioner sales are down, more of his customers are purchasing high-efficiency units.

Though Cocca still has a pile of air conditioners in his store, he said he expects to sell them all by the end of the summer, cool weather or not.